The Star Trek Stimulation
by phantagrae
Summary: Written for the Big Bang Theory Fan Site's Halloween Challenge. Sheldon and Amy attend a Halloween Party. Thanks to my super-fast super-good beta FoxPhile! One shot.


10

"Sheldon," Amy began, bringing two cups of tea from the kitchen to the coffee table, "we need to start thinking about our couples costumes for Rajesh's Halloween party."

"I agree," Sheldon replied, taking his cup from Amy and sipping for a moment. "We don't want another fiasco like Raggedy C3PO."

"Well," Amy remarked, "we did use your idea last year, even after your stupid donut comment." She looked pointedly at him over the rim of her cup as she took a sip.

Sheldon looked away for a moment then looked up sheepishly.

"So," he said at last, "do you have a suggestion?"

"I do," she replied eagerly, putting her cup on the table and turning more fully toward him. "How about something from…Star Trek?"

Sheldon sat up straight, blinking wide-eyed at Amy.

"Did you say Star Trek?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Amy smiled expectantly, her fingers tangling nervously on her lap.

"Amy!" Sheldon exclaimed breathlessly, also putting his cup down. "You know I love Star Trek…"

"I know!" she enthused, barely able to sit still at the sight of his pleasure.

"Wait," Sheldon said, his brow suddenly furrowing with suspicion. "Which characters are you proposing we dress up as?"

Amy took a deep breath and took a moment to nervously smooth her skirt.

"Well, I think you could dress up as Doctor Spock…"

"MISTER Spock!" Sheldon corrected, holding up a warning finger.

"Sorry. MISTER Spock," Amy continued. "And maybe I could dress as Nurse Chapel." She leaned forward, holding her breath, anticipating his answer.

Sheldon thought through the idea, looking into the distance as he pictured the characters from the TV show, then turned to study Amy for a moment. At last, he nodded and picked up his tea, taking a long drink before he replied.

"I think that would be a good choice."

Amy released her breath with an audible sigh, hiding her urge to giggle by also returning to her tea.

* * *

><p>Amy knocked on the door of apartment 4A and slowly poked her head in.<p>

"Sheldon, are you ready? It's time to go," she said as she stepped into the living room.

Sheldon came into the living room from the back of the apartment, holding a towel to one ear.

"Amy, can you help me?" he asked, holding an object out to her. "I can't get this ear to stay on!"

She took the latex ear and turned it over in her hand.

He scrubbed vigorously at his left ear with the towel.

"I took a shower and used Leonard's hair gel to make my hair more Spock-like, but now the glue for the ear won't stick."

He sat glumly in his desk chair and handed the towel to Amy.

She hesitated for a moment, then began to wipe his ear and along his hairline with the towel. As she reached past him to get the prosthetic make-up glue from his desk, she was very aware that her bosom was pressed against his shoulder and his face was turned toward her. Was he looking down her dress?

As she read the instructions on the glue, Sheldon looked up at her. He knew how to use the glue, but rather than telling her how to do it, he simply watched her, inhaling the scent of her shower gel and shampoo, trying to keep his eyes from wandering along the low-plunging neckline of her costume. He looked down toward the floor, but the short hem of her costume was in his line of sight and he couldn't help studying her legs clad in black tights.

"Okay, I think I might need a little alcohol to clean up any residue from the hair gel off of your ear," Amy said. "I'll be right back."

Sheldon watched her walk toward the bathroom. Her hair was pulled up, her Star Trek tri-corder, slung across her body, bounced on her hip with every stride. He took a deep breath and released it. Perhaps it was fitting that he was dressed as Mister Spock. At this rate he was going to have to practice Kolinahr before the night was through.

As Amy returned to the living room, she sized up her lanky boyfriend, still handsome in her eyes, even while dressed like a silly sci-fi character. She knew he was happy and she knew that her medical officer's costume made him happy. Why and how happy were extra credit questions that she didn't really care about just now. She was simply happy to see him happy.

She used a cotton ball to wipe his ear. There was something so pleasing about holding and touching his ear. It was soft and clean and she could swear it was heating up even as she handled it. Once she'd dabbed the ear dry again, she spread the glue along the tip of his ear, pressing the pointed latex ear in place. She held onto it for a full minute, per the glue's instructions, before she finally released it.

"Um…" she began, pressing her lips together. "How's the other ear?"

Sheldon inhaled a shuddering breath as he reached up to touch his right ear.

"May…maybe you should…check this one, too," he breathed.

She rotated the chair, turning him clockwise to pull his right ear into reach. She felt along his ear and the latex prosthetic as he tensed under her touch.

"Maybe I should add a dab of glue just here," she whispered, turning to grab the tube.

Sheldon was too busy trying to breathe to answer her. He hadn't thought that the feel of her fingers on such an innocuous part of his body would affect him so. He wasn't a Ferengi, after all. How could such a thing happen to him? It was just his ear, not his…his… He cleared his throat as Amy finally released him.

"Are you ready now?" she replied, stepping back to catch her breath.

He stood quickly and grabbed his tri-corder from the coffee table. He didn't sling it over his shoulder however, but held it in front of him until he could grab his jacket to hold there instead.

Amy pretended not to notice his actions, but simply led the way out of the apartment.

* * *

><p>Amy pulled into a parking spot in front of the storefront event hall that Raj had rented for his "House of Horrors" party. There was an appropriately gruesome banner hung above the doorway, featuring monstrous faces with blood dripping from their fangs and eyes.<p>

"Amy," Sheldon began as he got out of the car, "why did you choose Mister Spock and Nurse Chapel for our costumes?"

"Well, Penny made it clear that I shouldn't try to be something she called an Orion Slave Girl…" Amy took a moment to lock the car as she straightened her very short costume.

"Yes, that would have been a questionable choice," Sheldon replied, adjusting his tri-corder strap.

"I know you admire Doc…er…Mister Spock and the only female character I've really seen was Nurse Chapel, in that one episode we watched not long ago. Since I've had this costume for a while, I figured it was a logical choice."

"Logical?" Sheldon asked with a very Spock-like tilt of his head.

Amy smiled at her own unintentional pun.

"Let's go inside."

Sheldon took a deep breath and stepped warily toward the door, holding it open for Amy.

"You first," he said, eyeing the dark interior.

"Oh, it's going to be fun!" Amy said, bravely stepping over the threshold.

They were immediately assaulted by strobe lights blinking in the darkness, making it hard to tell where they were walking.

Sheldon reached for Amy's hand to steady himself and she returned his grasp firmly.

Loud moans and shrieks seemed to come out of the walls, echoing through the entryway.

Sheldon let out a whimper in spite of himself and tightened his grip on Amy's hand.

They ran into a black curtain of rubbery tendrils which elicited groans of disgust from both of them. Then just as they pushed past that barrier, a glowing skeleton popped up from a coffin in the darkness.

"AAAHHH!" Sheldon screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Sounds like Sheldon and Amy are here," Howard laughed from beyond a hidden door. The door slid open to reveal a colorfully lit room where their friends awaited them.

Amy patted their clasped hands with her free hand as they moved forward. Truthfully, Sheldon's scream had startled her own scream out of her mouth and she had to take several calming breaths.

"Welcome to the House of Horrors!" Raj intoned into a microphone, which deepened and distorted his voice. He and Emily were dressed as ragged zombies with ghoulish wounds affixed to their faces. They were standing near the doorway and Emily raised her hands like claws as if she were trying to grab Sheldon's throat.

Sheldon quickly moved away from her, pushing Amy along with him.

Amy realized his distress and led him toward the refreshments table.

"Would you like some punch, Sheldon?" she asked, extricating her right hand from his still tight, clammy grip.

Sheldon swallowed and gulped air for a moment before he replied, "As long as it's not alcoholic." He eyed the punchbowl with suspicion.

"I'll check," Amy said, serving a cup and tasting it. She winced a little and shook her head. "Well, would you like a bottle of water or soda? I think there are some Diet Cokes over there."

Sheldon considered his options for a moment as he looked around the room. The expected Halloween decorations festooned the walls and tables, the various attendees wore costumes both amusing and creepy. One of the guys from the comic book store had an axe seemingly protruding from his skull.

Sheldon looked away quickly. His heart was still pounding from coming through the entrance and he could feel himself getting wound up. One part of his mind knew it was foolish to be frightened by costumes and decorations, but some images still bothered him. He wanted to be able to enjoy the party and Amy's company.

"No," Sheldon said at last, taking a calming breath. "I think I want punch."

"Are you sure?" she asked, tentatively picking up a fresh cup to fill for him.

"Yes, I'm a little rattled," he replied. He wiped his sweaty palms along his pant legs. "Maybe it will help me calm down."

"Okay," she conceded. "But I think you should make yourself a plate of food. You don't want to drink on an empty stomach."

He nodded and started picking items for his plate.

Soon they were seated at a table with their food and drinks. The crowd was made up of their group of friends and several of Stuart's comic book store clientele. Apart from the scary beginning, the rest of the party was rather simple—music, food, people in costumes both scary and funny.

Sheldon was getting a little bored. He wasn't close to any of Stuart's customers and the music was annoying him. He wasn't even getting much enjoyment out of being dressed as his favorite Star Trek character. Leonard and Penny, dressed as the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland, had disappeared somewhere—probably having coitus—and Emily had come over to talk to Amy, so for the moment he had no one to talk to. Sheldon couldn't look at Emily's zombified face without getting nauseated. Or maybe it was the punch. Despite his attempt to fill his stomach, he knew the alcohol was affecting him.

Raj came over and asked Emily to dance with him. The music was slow and what Sheldon assumed was romantic. All the couples were pairing up on the dance floor. Even Leonard and Penny had reappeared.

"Sheldon," Amy began, touching his arm. "Would you like to dance?"

Sheldon was caught off-guard and didn't quite know what to say. He looked around the room as if the sound of the music would somehow help him answer, but when he finally looked back at Amy and saw her smiling face, he relented.

"Okay," he said simply, letting her lead him to the floor. This slow, almost motionless movement didn't match up to any of the dances he had learned in cotillion, but he watched the others and followed their example.

He stepped up close to Amy and let her put her arms around his body and up his back while he put his arms around her waist. As she nestled against his chest, he tensed up a bit, but then forced himself to relax into the moment. He could smell her shampoo, as her head was right beneath his chin. He bent his head forward and inhaled deeply, then let his cheek fall against the top of her head. Her arms tightened around him for a moment and he let himself enjoy it.

They swayed gently on the dance floor, not really listening to the music, since neither of them recognized the song. Sheldon was becoming more and more entranced by the feeling of her body next to his, the familiar scent of her hair soothing him. He had forgotten that he was supposed to be the emotionally restrained Vulcan science officer. He'd forgotten he was wearing pointy ears. But he was becoming all too aware that his hands were very close to her bottom.

All too soon the music ended and another up-tempo song began. Someone let out a whoop, and several others joined in the excitement.

Sheldon and Amy awoke from their trance and pulled apart, Amy taking a moment to smooth her hair.

She had been indulging in pressing her cheek against his chest, relishing the feel of his arms holding her against his body. But now the spell had been broken and as the others bounced and ground their way through the new song, she looked up at Sheldon and offered a shrug.

He bent forward and whispered in her ear.

"Let's get some air," he said, pointing toward the rear door. He was not about to walk through that entrance again. He took her hand and led her toward the back, pushing the door open and holding it for her.

The door led to a dimly lit service hallway for all the storefronts and Sheldon was mortified to recognize Howard and Bernadette, dressed as a court jester and a bosomy medieval wench, respectively, engaged in a heavy make-out session up against one wall. He quickly led Amy toward another door which led them into a large storage room.

"Sheldon, what are we doing in here?" she asked, looking around at the metal shelves and cleaning supplies.

"I don't know," Sheldon admitted wrapping his arms around his chest as he surveyed the room. "I just had to get out of that room for a while." He nervously began fiddling with the tri-corder still hanging from his shoulder. He held it up, a little toward Amy, and turned it on. It played a recorded sound like the special effect used on Star Trek and he pretended to use the device to scan Amy's vital signs.

"Hmm…" he intoned in his best Spock voice. "Heart rate elevated, temperature elevated, alcohol in the bloodstream… Your readings are a little irregular, Nurse Chapel."

Amy quirked an eyebrow at him and raised her own device. She turned it on and moved it from his head down along his torso, stopping just at his waist. "I'm getting similar readings on you, Mister Spock," she said. "Perhaps you need to report to sickbay."

Sheldon looked at her, a smile playing along his lips. "I'm not experiencing Pon Farr, I assure you," he said, lowering his tri-corder. "My human half has been…affected…by tonight's activities."

"Your human half…" Amy began.

Before she could continue, Sheldon stepped forward and, putting his hands on her hips, pressed his lips against hers.

Amy reached up to hold his shoulders and returned the kiss, stepping closer to his body. She could feel heat radiating off of him and she closed the gap altogether. Only then was she aware of something pressing against her hip. Between kissing him and feeling his body, she couldn't breathe and she broke the kiss and looked for somewhere to sit down.

"Amy," Sheldon croaked, wiping his mouth and catching his breath. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sheldon," she replied in a shaky voice. She sat down on an unopened plastic bucket of floor wax. "I just need to catch my breath." She looked up at him and offered him a quick smile, then found her eyes trailing down his body. She tore her gaze away as she realized what she was doing.

He adjusted his tri-corder to hang in front rather than at his side.

"Maybe we should get back to the party," he whispered.

"Maybe we should wait a minute before we do that," she replied, adjusting her short skirt. She had to admit to a certain stirring in her own nether regions.

"Agreed," Sheldon replied, finding his own bucket to sit on. He pressed his lips together, then licked them, tasting the punch and chocolate cookies Amy had been eating.

"So, have you enjoyed the party, Sheldon," Amy asked, trying to fill the tight silence between them.

He gulped air and nodded. "Indeed," was all he could manage at first. After a moment, he continued. "You make a very nice Nurse Chapel."

"And you are a very handsome Mister Spock," Amy replied.

"Amy," Sheldon admonished, "Mister Spock's most admirable aspect was not his appearance, but rather his brilliant mind and his ability to rise above the influence of his human emotions."

Amy quirked an eyebrow at him. "I thought your human emotions were…taking over…a few minutes ago."

Sheldon blushed furiously and studied his knees for a moment.

"Um," he began, glancing up before lowering his eyes again. "You know, Amy, there was an episode of Star Trek where Spock and Nurse Chapel shared consciousness in…in Nurse Chapel's…body."

Amy blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"In the episode, 'Return to Tomorrow', an alien being has taken over Spock's body, leaving his consciousness trapped in a sphere. The alien decides he wants to keep Spock's body and destroys the sphere. The only way to save Spock's consciousness was to hide him within Nurse Chapel's consciousness."

Amy's brow furrowed as she attempted to understand. "And what does that have to do with us?"

Sheldon looked at her solemnly. "I think it would be very intimate—having one's mind and being held within another's mind and being…"

Amy's eyes widened. "Um…yes, I…I guess that's true," she stammered, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.

"Do you know about the Vulcan mind meld?" Sheldon asked, studying her face.

"No," Amy replied. She tilted her head as she wondered where he was going with his train of thought.

"Well, Vulcans have the ability to meld their minds with another's, to read the other person's thoughts and feelings," he explained. "It's considered very intimate and is only done in certain circumstances…" He stood up from his bucket and held a hand out to Amy, helping her to stand as well.

"Intimate?" Amy whispered.

"This is how they do it…" he whispered. He stepped closer to her and placed his fingers on her face in the Vulcan manner and recited the ritual words, imitating what he knew from countless viewings of several episodes.

"My mind to your mind," he murmured. "My thoughts to your thoughts…" His voice trailed away as he studied her face up close, looking deeply into her eyes, at the curve of her cheekbones, the shape of her lips.

He wished the mind meld was a real thing. The thought of mingling her mind with his was fascinating. But her lips were also fascinating. Though he still had qualms about the kind of intimacy he knew Amy desired, he knew what kissing her felt like. He couldn't perform an actual mind meld, but he could kiss her.

He dropped his hand away from her face and stood there silently for a moment.

"Shel…" Amy breathed

Sheldon interrupted her with his mouth on her lips, his hands slipping around her waist. He was aware of the warmth of her lips, the curve of her waist, her hands on his back, the firm heat of her body.

When they finally broke the kiss, Amy laid her head against his chest, holding him tightly, trying not to cry. Though they had been kissing goodnight at the end of their date nights, she knew that this moment was something more, a step forward, in some way.

They were stunned out of their reverie by a loud thump in the hallway outside their little room.

They stepped back and looked anywhere but at each other.

Sheldon cleared his throat and spoke.

"Amy, I think we should probably get back to the party."

Amy nodded and straightened her dress, then reached up to smooth her hair. One lock had come loose and trailed down to her shoulder. She tried to put it back in place, but couldn't do it without a mirror.

"Sheldon, can you help me with this?" she asked.

He frowned at her. "You want me to fix your hair?"

"Do you want people to jump to conclusions about us, Sheldon?" she asked. "You and I disappear from the party for several minutes, then I return with disheveled hair?"

Sheldon pressed his lips together for a moment.

"I see what you mean," he said, smoothing the tress up into one of the clips in Amy's hair.

Sheldon put his head out the door, but the hallway was now empty, so they walked across and slipped back into the party.

The lights were now low and another slow song was playing, the remaining couples were again swaying slowly on the dance floor.

Without a word, Sheldon led Amy to the dance floor and slipped his arms around her once again, finding that although he still didn't really care for dancing or popular music, it was a socially acceptable excuse for him to hold his girlfriend in public without feeling self-conscious.

He knew that it made Amy happy and her happiness was becoming more and more important to him. He was a little embarrassed about his self-indulgent behavior in the storage room, but he was also happy about it.

Ironically, although he was dressed as Mister Spock, and he loved nothing more than getting into character when wearing a costume, he realized that it was dressing as Spock, with Amy as Nurse Chapel, which had somehow freed him to behave in a most un-Spock-like manner. He'd have to contemplate that phenomenon, but not tonight.


End file.
